Hell’s Gate

I wake up to a heavy rainstorm and consequently decide it’s time for a lie-in and go back to sleep. After a very lazy morning I set about seeing what I can do in the afternoon. A visit to Hell’s Gate seems to be the logical choice.

Hell’s Gate is yet another thermal reserve, however this one is famous for it’s mud baths and healing sulphur spa pool. After a quick walk round the reserve – all the thermal reserves are starting to look the same for me – I head into the spa area for my mud bath. Surprisingly the mud baths are mainly hot water, with a layer of mud from one of the thermal pools at the bottom. The mud is silky smooth, but it still feels weird to be rubbing it all over my body. Caked in mud from the eyes down, I sit out my 20 minutes before being asked to take a cold shower! The mud apparently overheats you without you noticing so I either have to have a cold shower, or sign a form saying I accept the risks of not taking a cold shower!

Mud Volcano

Feeling a lot cleaner now all the mud is off me, I enter into the spa pools, which are now rather too hot as the sun has just decided to make a rather sudden appearance! Still I sit it out by drinking copious amounts of cold water. As the time for my shuttle back into Rotorua nears, I exit the spa pool for a shower, but still manage to go back to Rotorua stinking of Sulphur – a smell that seems to stay with me for several days!